


The stars were going out

by silversurfer60



Category: Broadchurch, Doctor Who (2005), Torchwood (Pete's World) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crossover, Episode AU: s04e12 The Stolen Earth, Episode AU: s04e13 Journey's End, F/M, Original Universe, Pete's World, Plot Twists, With A Twist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-12
Updated: 2015-07-12
Packaged: 2018-04-08 23:31:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4324992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silversurfer60/pseuds/silversurfer60
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose and Alec have to cross over to Rose's original world to help the Doctor and his companions stop the stars going out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It was 2013 on Pete's world. Rose Tyler had gone to Broadchurch for a short holiday and fallen in love with Alec Hardy. Pete establishes a local branch of Torchwood for her to help Alec with the Danny Latimer case but just as it is coming to an end, Rose and Alec have to cross over to Rose's original world to help the Doctor and his companions stop the stars going out.
> 
> The story will not concentrate much on the Latimer case but on the events of 'The Stolen Earth/Journey's End as the action switches from Broadchurch in the AU to Rose's original world to re-unite her with the Doctor and his companions and has a twist in the tale.

Rose fell in love with Alec Hardy the first time they had met though it took them a week of arguments for him to get her into his hotel bed and then he had to admit what was wrong with him. It all started when Rose went down to dinner the night she arrived after a long drive from London. Her mother had questioned her destination.

"Broadchurch? Why the hell would you want to go to Broadchurch Rose? Oh don't tell me, it's that detective isn't it? I thought you were over that?"

"I am Mum, honestly. It doesn't bother me any more. I just want a week by the sea. It will be quiet down there anyway, no-one wants to go to a murder town. I've booked six nights at a hotel, The Traders and I'll be back next Sunday so don't worry. Crikey Mum, I used to go off all the time, it's not like anything's going to get in my way, it's just a normal holiday."

It was Sunday evening, Rose was packing and Tony wandered into his big sister's room.

"Rose, are you going away again?"

"Aw come over here big guy. It's just for a few days. Did mum send you up here?"

"No but I know she doesn't want you to go either. Will you bring me a present back?"

"Yeah, of course I will. How about a boat or something you can play with in the bath?"

"Yeah! Thanks Rose."

"I'll see you before you go to school in the morning, you break up soon don't you?"

"Yeah, Friday."

"Then when I get back, maybe me and Mickey can take you out."

The boy was satisfied and went back to his room. Rose switched on her TV to catch the news and saw the detective again – Alec Hardy. She no longer saw the Doctor in every man she laid eyes on and this detective was no different. If only they'd had more success locating her own world, she would have been joining the other teams being sent out to find him again instead of daydreaming that one of the teams would find the right one and she would find him again.

The thought of him made her shiver but what if he'd changed already?

The next morning just after breakfast and kissing her mum and brother goodbye, she put her cases in her Tardis blue car and drove to the coastal town of Broadchurch. She managed to balance her cases and her laptop bag and was about to close the back door when she heard a voice behind her.

"Can I help you with those?"

She turned around to see a young man with an ID badge around his neck that read 'Olly Stevens, Broadchurch Echo' and Rose realised she had parked right outside their office. Just her luck for a reporter to spot her.

"No, I'm good thanks, just going across the road to the hotel, 'erm Olly."

Olly stepped back and took the handle of one of her cases.

"It's no bother, Miss Tyler. Sorry but I know who you are, what brings you to our town?"

Rose was about to say something serious like she was here for bracing sea air or the golden cliffs but she was a bit tired from her journey and decided to be catty instead.

"Well Olly, I came to get away from nosey town reporters but so far I'm having no such luck but you might as well wheel my case over for me since I left all my servants at home."

Olly just looked at her and grinned. Whatever Rose Tyler was going to throw at him he was going to take it. He'd had a secret crush on her for years, following her in the social media and gossip columns for the last few years since the chairman of Vitex announced he had married her mother and adopted her even though he knew he would never get to meet her but now, she was in his town and he was helping her into the hotel opposite his office. Things were looking up for him.

Thanking him at the door, Rose went inside and checked in, telling Becca Fisher who she was but knowing she needed no introduction.

"Miss Tyler, welcome to The Traders. If there's anything we can do to make your stay more comfortable, please let me know. There's Wi-Fi if you want the access code and I've given you one of our larger double rooms. It's a bit quiet at the moment, what with thing's being as they are, there's only one person on your floor, the detective who's been on the news recently."

Rose thought she might have known, it was just her luck to be in the same hotel as he was and on the same floor. Oh well, he might be able to get that creep Olly out of the way. She didn't fancy getting chased around the town by the young reporter with a schoolboy crush on her all week. Anyway, she planned on getting out and about a bit to different places and wanted to go visit Weymouth and look around the shops, hoping they would have some different ones.

She went down to dinner and came face to face with the detective himself as he saw her come in. He got up and asked if she would like to join him.

"Miss Tyler, I never thought you would be gracing this small town with your presence. Are you staying long?"

At least he wasn't asking the same stupid questions as that moron Olly Stevens was, that was something she supposed. So much for keeping a low profile but the police would know her anyway and knowing Pete, he would have called the chief and demanded someone kept an eye on his stepdaughter and it seemed Detective Inspector Alec Hardy had drawn the short straw. She wondered if the detective was already staying here prior to him being notified of her presence or if he had hurriedly just got himself booked in.

"The infamous DI Hardy, nice to meet you." She held out her hand and instead of shaking it, he kissed the back of it.

If he didn't watch out, she would be actually letting him keep an eye on her for the rest of the week despite her annoyance with Pete, who obviously didn't trust her to spend a week on her own.

"Well I'm new here myself, I was here a week before all this happened but I'm surprised that you actually chose here for a holiday. Maybe you just wanted to witness a murder investigation first hand? Either that or you wanted to meet me?"

Rose smiled, he was being all smug so she was going to bring him back down with a thud.

"Well of course, that was my first reason, that of meeting the great detective himself but my second reason, I just wanted some time to myself and avoid meeting people who know who I am but I've only been here a while and three people already spoiled that. Are you supposed to be keeping an eye on me?"

He shook his head. "Not in the least, what gave you that idea?" He had clearly been caught out by the look on his face.

The waitress came to take their orders and Alec poured them some water each.

"Would you prefer some wine Miss Tyler?" he asked, hesitating over hers.

"No thanks, I'm a bit tired after the drive down but I might just have one later in the bar. Care to join me? You can keep an eye on me then."

"Really, I'm not here to spy on you. What gave you that idea?"

"Oh, I don't know. Something to do with my stepfather maybe? I reckon he got your chief to tell someone to do it and if you were already staying here, which I presume you were, you seem the obvious candidate or were you just unlucky?"

The waitress arrived with their soup and Alec was thinking what to say in his defence. She was right of course. Pete had been onto his chief and she had hauled him into her office, telling him in no uncertain terms he was responsible for her safety while she was in their town.

"I'm sorry Alec," Elaine Jenkinson had said after she had told him the Vitex heiress was arriving shortly. "I only found out a few hours ago, Pete Tyler only found out himself yesterday that she had decided to bring herself down here and you are staying at the same hotel. I'd ask Ellie but you're already on hand. It's only until Saturday night and she'll probably be going out during the day, just keep an eye on her will you?"

"Do I have a choice? I've got enough with the Latimer case but as long as it's only in the hotel, I suppose it's not going out of my way by too much though I may have to work a few late nights."

"Well try not to make them too late, at least check in with her every night to make sure she's ok. It shouldn't be too difficult Alec, looking after a young attractive blonde."

"A spoilt one at that."

"Rubbish Alec. She didn't come from money, her mother just happened to marry into it since she bears a really strong resemblance to the former Mrs Tyler but that's not the point. Just do this will you please? You never know, she might actually take a shine to you and recommend our town to her friends."

"Great, just what we need, a group of rich kids in town."

"Well the town needs something now the tourists are staying away and I'm sure The Trader's Hotel needs its rooms filling and she will be spending money in the town."

Alec finally got out and back to his own office. He had been told to make sure he got back to the hotel in time for the evening meal and greet the famous Rose Tyler. Why did she have to pick the same town as he had been sent to? He had half a mind to give the job to Miller despite being told to attend to it in person. As long as she was in this town, he wasn't going to be able to avoid her. His boss had been right on one thing when he saw her walking into the hotel dining room, she was even more stunning than she was on TV and in the newspapers so as he stood up to indicate for her to join him at his table, he couldn't help but take her offered hand and kiss the back of it.

Their main course had arrived and Alec asked the waitress to bring Rose a glass of red wine. Rose smiled, so far he was being the perfect gentleman but if he thought it was going to be easy her taking to him watching her, he was in for a big surprise. Their meal finished, he asked if he could buy her a drink in the bar.

"Why not? It's still early. Is it ok if I call you Alec?"

"Well if you insist though I really hate that name. Can I call you Rose? It really suits you."

"Thanks though don't think just because we're on first name terms I'm gonna let you follow me around while I'm here."

Alec took a sip of his non-alcoholic lager. "You're free to go where you please during the day, I don't have time to follow you around but will you humour me by dining with me every evening?"

Rose took a sip of her white wine and lemonade. "Well I suppose I could do worse than to dine with you during my stay. I suppose I could have worse company."

"Really? Such as who?"

Rose smiled. "Oh, such as that nosey town reporter who didn't even wait for me to get out of my car before dashing out of his office to offer to help me with my luggage."

"Oh, him. I'd stay away from him if I were you, unless you actually want to be on the front page of the Broadchurch Echo as his latest conquest. Word is he already tried his luck with a big city reporter but he may just ditch her, you're far more newsworthy than she is. I can just see the headlines now."

"Thanks for the warning and I didn't mean it to sound like you weren't my first choice of who I dine with."

"I'll take that as an apology then. Can I get you another drink?"

"No thanks, I think I'll call it a night. Maybe we can have breakfast?"

"I have mine at eight sharp, I have to get to the station. I don't have to keep an eye on you all day, you're free to eat breakfast whenever you want."

"You like my company that much?"

"I didn't mean it like that. Look Rose, I'll tell you now, this was not my idea, ok?"

"Fine. I know when someone's been told to babysit me and I know my stepfather is behind all this. As babysitters go, you're not that bad."

"Thanks for the compliment, I think. I may see you in the morning then? Don't get up early on my account though."

"I'm used to getting up early. I'll probably be awake anyway, force of habit. Goodnight then."

Rose got up, Alec got up with her. "We're on the same floor, I can walk you to your room if you want?"

"To make sure I get there perhaps?"

Alec smiled. "If that's what you think but this is on the house."

Rose said goodnight again and went into her room. She debated whether to call Pete and tell him she felt like she was under house arrest or something, getting a detective to watch over her but decided against it. It was probably her mother's idea anyway. She got ready for bed and tried to forget about the man who was just across the hall. Rose hadn't been looking for a holiday romance, she still wasn't over the Doctor but had to accept she was never going to get back to him.

Alec was trying to do the same. It seemed his and Rose's paths were going to cross at least once a day, it should keep his chief happy but he wasn't entirely happy about it himself. He wasn't in the market to pick himself up a girlfriend but he was a man and she was a young blonde, things would get awkward at some stage unless he was very careful. Maybe he should get Miller onto this after all, it was going to be a long week and Rose Tyler was out of his reach.


	2. Chapter 2

For the next few days, Rose saw Alec at breakfast and by Thursday night, they were laughing and joking in the bar, much to Becca's dismay as she had hoped to have the detective to herself. That was the night Alec decided he was going to try his luck and ask Rose to his room for maybe a bit of relaxation. It was that or ask the hotel owner, which he wasn't keen on since she had provided an alibi for the murdered boy's father and had just admitted she was having an affair with him. That wasn't going to deter Becca though, the famous Miss Tyler was only booked in until Saturday night, then she would make herself available.

Rose was on her second drink and Alec had hardly touched his, he was absent-mindedly putting his fingers inbetween Rose's then moving them, then playing with her thumb and finally was giving himself the jitters. He told himself to just come out and ask her if she would join him for some more small-talk in his room.

"So Alec, what are you so nervous about?" Rose finally asked him when he had hardly touched his drink.

"What makes you think I'm nervous Rose? Just had a bit of a rough day at work, you know how it is. There was some trouble, down at the harbour and I think it's going to lead to something worse. Maybe you could help me with it?"

"With your case?"

Alec smiled and ran his finger over her cheek.

"No, just help me relax, to wind down a bit, maybe?"

"Why didn't you say so? Finish your drink then we'll go to my room."

Alec could hardly believe his luck. They walked up to Rose's room and she kicked off her shoes then suddenly, she grabbed him by his jacket lapels and looked at him, then tugged at it.

"Are you going to stand there all night?"

He took the hint, letting her help him out of it then since his tie was already off, she began to unfasten his shirt buttons until she got down to his navel, then she pulled on the last bit of his shirt, tugging it out.

"So talk then or do you want me to start?" Alec said, leaning around her neck to find the top of her dress zip.

"Well, you can tell me one thing that's been puzzling me."

"What's that then?" he asked, finding how easily it parted company.

Rose put her finger on his stomach, then unfastened the rest of the buttons.

"Why has it taken you all week to ask me upstairs?"

"Oh, is that all? Well, it could have something to do with you being Miss Vitex and I'm just a lowly discredited police detective or the fact a certain reporter has been following you around town since your arrival, practically drooling over you and waiting for the chance to rescue you again or ask you for a date."

Rose looked up as she was taking his shirt off his shoulders, having unfastened the cuffs without him noticing. He thought she was good at this.

"Really? I can't say I noticed and besides the fact you're a great detective, how would you know, since you told me you wouldn't be following me around all week?"

"Because he's my DS's nephew and all he's done since you got here is go on about you to her. I did try to warn you."

He had, she admitted to herself, on her arrival and now it seemed she'd had the reporter's attention all along and had wanted the detective's. Was he slow on the uptake or what? Olly Steven's was not her type but Alec Hardy was, all mean and moody.

Rose let her dress fall to the floor, revealing her matching black bra and knickers, her comfortable stretchy ones and Alec whistled. She smiled and tugged his shirt the rest of the way off, throwing it over his jacket. Alec knew he was already doomed.

"So Alec, do you have something in your jacket pocket? Only I don't take anything at the moment, had to come off it because it upset my system."

Alec was about to reply that what was in his jacket pocket would only do him some good, well maybe so that was out.

"Sorry Rose, I don't make a habit of going to a woman's room and no, I don't think it should be the woman who takes all the responsibility, your answer was unexpected, as was my asking you. Maybe we can just start this slowly and I'll correct my oversight another time."

Rose could have taken that two ways, one was did he really think he would get another chance and two, did she want him to? Her response was as much a surprise to her as it was to him as she stood on her tiptoes and put her arms around his neck.

"You'd better."

Then she brushed his lips lightly. Alec kissed her back, putting his arms around her waist. Before he knew what was happening, he had her on the bed and she was fumbling for the zip of his trousers. Alec was dismayed she was wearing a pull-on bra and lifted it over her head, her breasts spilling out, Alec kneeling over her, then he bent down to kiss them. She was beautiful and she knew it, her hair fanning out on the pillow, her smile and her curves. He wanted to take her all in at once but knew he would be a goner if he tried. Maybe it was just as well he had never imagined Rose Tyler would invite him into her bed.

He took his trousers off and climbed back on to her, kissing her all over her tummy and above, Rose holding on to him. He knew he had been stupid to think this was going to lead to other things, he could barely contain himself. What would he be like if she really expected him to follow up on this? They both had a piece of underwear on though Alec wished her knickers were not containing so much material although they did seem to cling to her, a stretch material that he could almost feel through as he lay on one elbow, tracing the line of the waistband.

Rose put her finger on the waistband of his briefs, Alec wishing he had worn boxers and more than aware he was already revealing his bulge, much to his embarrassment. She smiled and let go.

"You're not shy are you Alec?"

"Me? No, not really it's just I've not been completely honest with you Rose. As much as I'd love to follow this up, I'm afraid that might not be possible."

"Oh. You're not married are you or already have a girlfriend?"

"No, I'm divorced, no girlfriend, no-one would put up with me now anyway. I've got a bit of a problem and before you think the worse like I'm not able to 'perform' or anything, it's not that but I can't tell you."

Rose pushed him onto his back and sat up over him.

"Then tell me Alec, I'm going home on Sunday anyway, who am I going to tell? Is it something your boss doesn't know? Something serious?"

It was and she was certainly not helping his condition as she ran her finger down his chest to his belly button, making him quiver.

"Rose, I would but since you're going, there's no need to get you involved in it. Are you ok if we just do some more of this?"

He pulled her down and began snogging her like crazy.

After wiping the grin off her face, she nodded. "Yeah, I wasn't really up for much else, I was going to tell you if you went too far. Can I trust you enough if I take mine off, you keep yours on?" She fingered the waistband of her black knickers.

Alec was relieved she had taken this so well. "Am I ok with it? Oh yes Rose, I most definitely am. May I?"

He took the material in his fingers, touching her hand then together, they lowered the garment, revealing her flat stomach and her hips until she let go and allowed him to pull them down. She went to lay on him, Alec enjoying the feeling despite him still wearing his briefs.

"I would have thought you were a boxers sort of man Alec," she whispered in his ear.

"Really Rose? Then for you I'll be sure I wear some tomorrow, if you want more of this?"

Rose sighed in his ear. "Yes Alec, I want more and maybe tomorrow, you'll get to take them off instead. We still have two more nights before I have to leave. Why did you wait so long?"

"Seriously? You're the famous Rose Tyler and I thought you were way out of my league."

"No you're not and don't believe all the things you've read about me in the media. I'm not out with a different bloke every week. Sometimes, I let men take me out just to please my mother. Sometimes a man will ask me to dance at a function and I just happen to have my photo taken. Just a few weeks ago, there was this actor who you look like a bit and he was chatting me up and we were laughing and a photo was taken and it was all over town that we were jumping in each other's beds. I never saw him after that, it must have scared him off."

"Can't say I saw it but I have been a bit pre-occupied lately. Why would it put someone off though? I would have thought it would give a bloke a bit of an ego."

"Very funny Alec, it always puts men off, being in the papers all the time. Why do you think I'm staying away from that Olly Stevens?"

"Right, sorry. I promise you Rose I'll try and keep him away from you and if I get my picture in the Broadchurch Echo, I'll welcome it and have something to remember you by."

"You're so sweet Alec, maybe I won't want to leave if you say things like that?"

"You're just saying that Rose. Do you actually have to work to earn a living or do you attend charity functions as a way of life?"

She wanted to tell him, maybe if she stayed, she might.

"No Alec, I work for a living, for my stepfather but don't ask me what I do."

"Why not? Is it a secret?"

"Yes and maybe you should stop being a detective and push me onto my back and snog me senseless again?"

"Who am I to argue with that?"

He did as she had requested. She had tried to convince herself that Alec was a distraction but she knew deep down that he was no such thing. Two more nights and she would be back at work, hoping someone had found the right universe. Rose fell asleep in his arms, feeling contented for the first time in a long time and woke up to find him watching her.

"Hi, how long have you been awake and watching me?"

"Not long and you screw your face up when you're sleeping, you looked so adorable. What do you have planned for today?"

"Making sure that creep Olly doesn't follow me around for starters, then I might go down the coast a bit, there's a beach I want to visit, my little brother likes seashells and I thought I may take a look and he wants a boat to play with in his bath so I have to get that today before I forget. What about you, are you going to be free for lunch today? I'd like to see you during the day, not just in here, if that's ok?"

"Yes, I'll see if I can change my busy schedule to accommodate you shall I?" he teased, leaning over to kiss her nose.

Rose waved him off. "Yuck, you made my nose wet and it itches now, you and your beard. It makes you look cute."

"I get a 'Yuck' out of you? I could really feel deflated by that remark you know. Would you like to go out tonight? Seeing as you like getting in the newspapers?"

Rose smiled and went to lay on him as he held her tightly and kissed her neck. "Mmm, I'd like that and I like you kissing my neck but I was rather hoping for a morning snog before you have to leave. Do you have time?"

"Oh yes Rose, I have the time, come here."

After breakfast, Rose decided to make an early start since she was meeting him at the harbour café but didn't see Olly taking a photo of her as she came out and kissed Alec on the cheek before fetching her car around then dropping him off outside the station. Olly had been waiting for her to come out so he could follow her again, telling his editor he was onto a big story. It would be if he could get a date with her. Now she was kissing that new DI who had already warned him twice to stay out of his way and who was getting into her car. He'd show Hardy. He had already been credited with being the worst cop in Britain. Now he could get him for gold-digging with the famous Rose Tyler. Maybe he would still get a story out of this but the woman had no taste in men.

After successfully getting Tony a wooden painted boat and a bag full of assorted seashells, Rose parked near the harbour café and saw Alec walking across the harbour. She waved to him and waited. He admired her car as she stood beside it.

"Nice car Rose, it's an unusual shade of blue, I don't think I've ever seen it before. You know it makes it more of a target, don't you?"

"Nah, you should see the security system and even if someone tows it away, they'll never get inside it. The door and the ignition are keyless, using a smart system." It was a bit more than that, Jake had made sure no-one could hack into it and the windows were smash proof but Pete had concerns if the emergency services were to need access so there was one piece that was normal glass where not much damage could be done.

"Really? Should I have expected any less from you? It's like something from the future."

Rose smiled and took his hand. She wanted to brag it had been masterminded by Torchwood but couldn't – not yet, not until she was sure of him.

Alec kept his word and collected her from her room at seven, having to leave Miller to finish some work, not being proud of himself since she had a family to go home to but Rose was leaving on Sunday and he didn't want her to. Why had he been such an idiot and left it almost too late? He had been afraid to tell her what was wrong with him but maybe he would tell her tonight. If she threw him out, they hadn't really gone that far last night, it had been nice and she hadn't been demanding, maybe she was just lonely and what she had said was true, she never went on real dates and maybe their date tonight was the first one she'd had in a long time, it was certainly his and he wasn't going to spoil it. He was going to chance it and have one special night with Rose Tyler – even if it half killed him. If he survived, then Olly Stevens would have something to write about.


	3. Chapter 3

Rose was getting changed, Alec wondering how she managed to look so good in just sixty minutes but supposed she didn't really have to work at it. Tonight, he would tell her what was wrong with him, not that he wanted any sympathy so maybe he would get her to say she would stay first but she was right on one thing, another week would be nowhere near long enough.

While Rose was getting ready, Alec found somewhere to take her using the internet on his phone and booked a table for seven thirty then he went out and hoped the supermarket just down the road was still open and went to get her some flowers and chocolates. He got back just before seven and knocked on her door.

"Wow, are those for me? Thanks. You're gonna make this difficult for me aren't you? I was going to start packing you know."

"Then put it off, for now and see if you still want to leave on Sunday morning. I decided I would take you somewhere nice tonight, if that's ok?"

"I'd like that, are you trying to show me off?"

"Oh yes Rose, I want to show you off."

He admired the simple red dress she was wearing, showing off all her best features.

They walked up the road to the Italian restaurant, even though he wasn't supposed to each rich food, he managed something plain but got away with it and he allowed himself half a glass of red wine. He bought her another red rose while she was in the ladies room and presented it to her when she came back into the bar area.

She thanked him by kissing his cheek. "Thank you, that's really sweet. What am I going to do with you? I think I'm going to call that newspaper reporter who said all those nasty things about you and get her sacked. Does she have a vendetta against you?"

"From my last case. Don't worry yourself about it, if you're going home on Sunday. Are you Rose?"

"Alec, what then? Another week, two weeks, it won't make it any easier. I only booked my room until Sunday morning."

"I'm sure Miss Fisher would be delighted for you to stay but you could move into my room."

"Mine's bigger, she gave me it specially, don't know why though, it's not like I'm famous or anything," she joked.

Who was she kidding? Alec wondered if he would feel the same if she was no-one, then reckoned he would but would others treat her the same? It would get that Olly Stevens out of her face, he had seen him that morning watching her as he got a lift from her to the station. If she stayed, he would have to introduce her to Miller, it hadn't mattered so much since he thought she was leaving. He had called at the pharmacy and was hoping he would get a chance to ask her if she wanted to go further, if the subject came up.

"Well let's go back then just maybe I can persuade you to stay a bit longer?"

They went back to her room, Alec just going back to get a change of underwear for the morning, Rose was waiting for him in a stunning nightdress though why she had bought it the other day, she had no idea but had got it on a whim since she had fancied Alec since her arrival and he had never even made a move on her.

"Wow, you look gorgeous, though I'm disappointed you didn't wait for me to undress you, maybe next time?"

Neither of them knew at that moment if there was going to be a next time. After some more brilliant snogging on the bed and Rose keeping her underwear on, she seemed contented, giggling at how big she thought he was.

"So, were you going to tell me what was wrong with you? 'Cos you seem ok to me."

"I wish I was ok Rose but I don't think you need concern yourself. Why don't we go out somewhere tomorrow? I can drive your car, if you let me? What about that security system?"

"Don't worry, I can over-ride it if I want. Yeah, ok then but I choose where we go."

She reached up to kiss him again. If she wasn't extremely careful, he was going to be able to persuade her the next night and she might reconsider leaving on Sunday morning.

He put both his arms around her waist as she looked at him.

"You're trying to get me to stay, Alec Hardy, don't think I don't know what you've been up to all evening with the flowers and the chocolates."

She reached up to kiss his cheek.

"You saw through my plan. Is it working though? Please stay Rose? You won't even tell me what you do, besides look gorgeous all day with no effort at all. Can't you say you've found something better to do?"

"Well if I stay another week, we'll just have this conversation next Saturday night, won't we? What do you want me to say Alec? I didn't come here looking for a holiday romance but I didn't really stand a chance when I met you, did I?"

He let go. "It's the other way around Rose, when I was told you were coming here I thought you were going to be a nuisance to my already busy schedule but I soon changed my mind and I've been trying to get up the courage to ask you to my room for three nights. Do you know what you've done to me?"

"Well I won't mind if you try and yes, if you bought something, you can use it tonight."

Alec climbed into her bed and decided if this killed him it would be worth it but somehow she could sense his hesitation as he lay on her and took off her nightdress and Rose wriggling out of her underwear, kissing her all over.

"You're beautiful Rose and I so want you right now, say you want me too."

He kissed her tummy then her breasts. "I want you Alec but is there something you want to tell me now, before we do this?"

"You read me well Rose. How can you tell?"

He was propped up on both arms, ready to lay fully on her.

"I know people Alec and I've been watching you, that's what I do. I work for Torchwood, as an agent."

He almost lost his balance.

"Seriously? I should have known. It makes no difference, I still want you. Do you do anything dangerous?"

She ran her finger down his chest.

"All the time but so far, you have been the most dangerous," she teased.

"Oh so I'm your latest mission then?" he asked, kissing her tummy again, making her squirm.

"Ok, maybe not my most dangerous. You know why?"

"Tell me later. Do you mind going on top? Only I don't think I can wait much longer but I may not finish what I started if you don't."

"There may not be a 'later' if you find out."

"I know what Torchwood does, you deal with alien threats and anything the police don't understand. I had to call them in once."

"Really? Then tell me later and swap places before I go crazy 'cos I thought at the word 'Torchwood' you'd run a mile."

He moved onto his back, taking her with him as she sat astride him then lay on him, wrapping herself around him.

"I want you now Alikins."

"Alikins? Oh well, it could have been worse Rosikins."

Rose giggled as she felt him under her as she moved on him and before she could say anything else, she was lost in all the sensations he was giving her, ending up as they both tumbled over the edge of a steep cliff.

Rose was gasping, coming away from him and realised Alec was having some trouble.

"What do you want me to do Alec?" she asked.

Alec was trying to calm himself but having no luck. "Inside jacket pocket, two tablets. Hurry."

Alec was clutching at his chest and Rose now knew what was wrong with him and thought she had just done the most stupid things since she got to this world, she had almost killed him. She got his pills, took two put of the blister pack and grabbed a bottle of water from the mini bar, opening it and giving them to him. Alec was not looking too good as his eyes were closing, he felt Rose trying to get the pills in his mouth and making him swallow some water.

He lay back and slowly, he began to calm down and things came back into focus. The bedside lamp was on and Rose had taken charge by taking off his protection and had put his clean shorts on he had brought with him.

"Thank you Rose, you just saved me an embarrassment if the paramedics had to cart me off to hospital. Sorry you had to clean me up."

"Don't worry about it and I'm sorry, if I had known I never would have let things go so far, I could have killed you."

He reached for her hands as she sat on the edge of the bed, now in a vest top and leggings in case she had to call for help.

"You should get some faster acting medication Alec, next time you might not be able to swallow pills. If you can't get any, I'm sure Torchwood would be willing to help. What's wrong with you?"

He was recovering a bit more. "Heart arrhythmia and I'll ask my GP the next time I talk to him, I should have asked before. What can Torchwood do?"

"Really Alec, do you have to ask?"

"I suppose not. I'm ok Rose, come back to bed and I'll call my doctor on Monday, see what he can do. I'll need some more pills by then anyway, I should be able to get some injections I can give myself, I don't make a habit of trying to kill myself by having sex with a beautiful woman."

"You still should have told me, how do you think I would have felt if you'd died on me?"

"Don't be so dramatic Rose, I'm fine now."

"Well that does it, I'm not leaving you like this so you just got yourself a room-mate though I think I'll ask Becca to keep mine and you move into it. Then there must be an operation you can have? Pacemaker maybe?"

How ironic she had to pick a man with a broken heart.

"Yes Rose, I need an operation. Now come back here and make me feel even better and I promise I won't try anything stupid like that again. Not that I didn't enjoy it, I did, it's just I'd best not risk it again until I do something about my health and as soon as I wrap up this case, I'll get it done, that I do promise. Hang on, did you say you weren't leaving?"

"Yeah, you heard me right but I'll have to go back tomorrow and get some more clothes and things plus my work laptop. I can ask my stepfather if I can work from down here, I don't always go out in the field, I do follow up work as well. Come with me Alec, come and meet my family."

"Seriously? Well ok, we'll have to make an early start then, after breakfast. We can come back Sunday evening and you'd best do all the driving, considering my little episode just now."

"Fine, I don't like other people driving my car anyway, the only one who drives it is Jake. You'll like him and his boyfriend."

Alec smiled. "You have some strange friends Rose. Are they all like that?"

She giggled. "No, my friend Mickey wouldn't like you saying that. He's my ex, just so you know but it was a long time ago, we split up when I was like 19. Don't worry, we're both over it now. There are some other things you need to know but I'll let my stepfather tell you, you wouldn't believe me in a million years."

So after breakfast the next morning, they told Becca they would be back the following evening and Alec was moving into her room, much to Becca's dismay. They had argued about it during breakfast but Rose was too scared to leave him on his own at night and having proper sex was now out of the question though he had said before they went down, they could still come pretty close as long as it was Rose that made all the moves.

Rose called her mother while Alec was getting a few things to take with him.

"Rose, you're a day early, thought you weren't back until tomorrow? Tony will be pleased," Jackie said when Rose told her she was setting off home.

"Mum, I'm not staying, I'm just coming for more stuff. I want you to meet someone."

"Oh don't tell me, you met that detective, the one that looks like you know who."

"Well maybe he does but it's not him. He's sick Mum, he needs someone to take care of him."

"Trust you. I remember that sick cat you wanted to bring home, think of how much it would have cost me in vets fees."

"Mum, Alec is not a cat. I want you to meet him and not a word about that other thing to him, I want Pete to talk to him and see how he takes it. If he doesn't, then I'll get Jake or Mickey to bring him back and they can pick up my things while they're here. I want to look after him. He has no-one to care for him."

"Well don't be surprised if he turns and runs when he finds out where you work."

"He already knows."

"And he's ok with it? That makes a change then. Still, it's one thing he knows about Torchwood and another he accepts where you came from, that's the deal breaker. I'll tell Pete he has to give your new boyfriend the once-over."

"Don't make it sound like that. Anyway, how many of my 'dates' have I ever brought home?"

Jackie couldn't answer.

Just after twelve, they were pulling into the driveway of the house Rose had called home since she had been on this world. She would have to talk with Pete first, get him to break the news to Alec gently but Alec had promised he would take his medication at regular intervals and call his GP on Monday and also see about operations though he said with her looking after him, he would survive for now. Rose had just told him not to get so amorous in bed then to which he had said that was her fault for making him want her so badly he was prepared to risk it. She told him to stop looking so sexy and let her take a good long look at him so she knew what to expect when he got well. He said she had already seen him but Rose said that didn't count, she had been trying to save his life at the time.

Before she was out of the car, the mini whirlwind almost knocked her over.

"Rose! Did you bring me a present?"

"Yeah it's in the back seat, Alec will get it for you."

"Who's Alec?"

"That would be me young man and here is your present," Alec replied, opening the back passenger door and getting the white plastic carrier bag out.

"Oh, hello. Are you Rose's boyfriend?"

"Yes, you can call me Alec and you must be Tony."

"Yes Sir. Thanks."

Tony held out his hand for the carrier bag.

"Hey, you forgot something Tony Tyler?" Rose asked him.

He reached up and she gave him a big hug.

"I missed you. Now take the bag nicely and give Alec a hug as well but don't get rough with him, he's a bit poorly at the moment, ok?"

"Yeah. Thanks Alec." He grabbed Alec's legs.

Alec ruffled the boy's hair. Jackie caught up with them and Alec extended his hand to her, forgoing getting their weekend bags out of the back of the car.

"Nice to meet your Mrs Tyler."

"Oh none of that Mrs Tyler rubbish, call me Jackie. Come inside, we waited for lunch, leave your stuff, one of the staff will bring it in and put it in one of the guest rooms for you." Then she saw Rose's face. "Or not. I'll get them to put it in Rose's room until we establish where you'll be staying."

That was her way of telling her daughter she didn't think she should be sharing with a sickly police detective she had just met but if the man was ill, Rose was probably now scared of leaving him. She would have a good talk with the man later, make sure he wasn't just putting it all on to get their sympathy.

Pete joined them for lunch, an over-excited Tony talking ten to the dozen to Alec about zeppelins, police cars and what he wanted to do now he had finished with school. It sounded like most of it involved Rose and this Mickey, which made him feel a bit put out but he knew the boy would be disappointed when Rose left with him the following evening.

After they finished eating, Pete got up and invited Alec to his study.

"I think you and I need to talk Alec. Just how much do you know about Torchwood, what we do and more importantly, about Rose?"

Alec just glanced at her. She got up and put her arms around him.

"Go on, he doesn't bite. I'm here and if you need more pills, he'll make sure you're ok and he'll call for me. It's best to get this over with Alec, if I'm going back with you to take care of you, you need to know about the life I've been leading. If it's too much, someone will drive you back to Broadchurch and you'll never have to see me again."

"Why would it be too much? Who are you Rose?"


	4. Chapter 4

Rose was pacing up and down outside Pete's study, wondering what on earth, well this earth he was telling Alec. Maybe this had not been such a good idea after all, she should have just come home and forget about him, he would never go for what she had done in the past. Jackie had tried unsuccessfully to take her mind off it, saying she owed an explanation to Tony and she had promised to take him out the next day.

"Mum, I will take him out, if Alec's still talking to me when he gets out of there. I promised someone would take him home if he can't accept it all. I've only known him a few days, it might be too much but I can't get involved with him if he doesn't know."

"Maybe you're doing the right thing Sweetheart. Pete will put it to him so it's easy for him to accept it. If he cares about you, he'll take it in his stride. It's not like Torchwood's a secret or anything, to the police. Just how involved are you anyway? You want him to share your room, I'm not keen on that Rose."

"He's sick Mum, he shouldn't be on his own at night, he needs someone with him. No-one else knows or his boss would take him off the case."

"If he's sick love, he needs to come off it, he shouldn't be working, can't he do something?"

"He will, I'll make sure but if he walks away from this, from me, then he's on his own."

Almost an hour had gone past, Alec had not stormed out, Pete had not come out to tell her Alec had collapsed and needed his pills so maybe that was a good sign. She was just about to give in and go make herself a coffee when the door opened and Pete had his hand on Alec's shoulder, Alec walking out under his own steam. Pete grinned at her.

"He's all yours Rose, you need to fill him in on a few minor details about the Doctor but he's good, aren't you Alec?"

"Rose, you and I have some talking to do but I'm good, I accept most of it though I have plenty of questions. Pete wants you to tell me the rest. He's also contacting one of the Torchwood doctors to see if they can help me but I may have to wait."

Rose went up to him. "So what do you want to know Alec?"

"Everything but it can wait, there's no rush. Where's that brother of yours? Did you promise to take him out?"

"Well it's a bit late now but we can take him out in the morning. I can do my packing this afternoon then we'll have some free time tomorrow. Unless you can get Monday off, to come to Torchwood with me?"

"No, I have to get back, you know that. Besides, I have to contact my own GP again about some more medication."

"Maybe we can help you Alec, I'll get on to it on Monday morning. Please, make yourself at home, you're family now and if you have any trouble over getting put on medical leave if your boss finds out, just let me know. Now you have to go talk to Rose's mother so you'd best get that over with now. You still have her test to pass."

Alec grimaced at the thought. If he thought his ex wife's mother was bad enough at asking him him intentions, she had nothing on Jackie Tyler. Rose said she would be in her room, someone would show him where it was when he got out of her mother's clutches. He found her in the kitchen. The staff made themselves scarce.

"So Alec, Rose thinks a lot of you and you seem to accept her past, you're still here. You should know, Pete has never had that conversation with any of the male friends she's brought home with her, not that there have been that many. I know she only dates to keep me from nagging her about it. She never got over him."

"So I gathered but she has me now, I'll help her as much as she helps me. Now she knows she can talk to me about it without thinking I'm going to run a mile. It must be a relief for her."

"You've no idea Alec but you hurt her, mark my words, I'll let you know about it."

"I'm sure you will. May I call you Jackie?"

"Of course you can you plum now come here."

Jackie gave him one of her famous hugs, the ones the Doctor used to try to squirm out of a every time he took Rose back home. Why did her daughter have to meet a man that looked like that old alien boyfriend of hers? She just hoped Rose wasn't doing this for the wrong reasons.

Alec found her room and saw Tony in with her, Rose was tickling him, clothes all over the bed and the floor.

"Having fun you two?"

"Yep," Tony replied, giggling as Rose let him go.

"Can I talk to your sister for a minute? Why don't you decide where you want to go tomorrow and Rose and I will take you?"

"But I thought Mickey was going? I want Mickey to take me as well," the boy sulked, crossing his arms, something he had got from his mother.

"Tony, don't be awkward. Alec and I will take you, Mickey can take you out another time."

"Where are you going Rose, you just came back?"

"I'm gonna stay with Alec for a while, I'll be back soon. Ok?"

"Don't be away a long time, will you Rose?"

She looked at Alec. If he didn't get through his illness, she would be back sooner than she thought.

Rose closed the bedroom door and Alec helped her pick up her clothes. "So you're planning on staying a while then?"

"Yeah, a girl can never have enough clothes. I was thinking of asking Pete about working down there, like I said but maybe I should get a place of my own, not stay in the hotel. What do you think?"

"Then how are you going to keep an eye on me?"

"Don't be daft Alec, I mean for you to come with me."

"Oh. We get to share a penthouse somewhere then?"

"Well maybe not a penthouse exactly but maybe one of those nice apartments near the harbour, then you won't have far to walk."

"Yes and everyone at the station will make fun of me, being kept by the Vitex heiress." He put his arms around her and kissed her neck.

"Not if Pete pays for it. Whenever I work away, Torchwood pays for it. What if I get involved, with your murder investigation?"

"Officially? I don't know what my boss would say about that, us working together."

"Who says a Torchwood agent and the senior investigating officer can't shack up together?"

She went to straighten his shirt collar. She really must get him into t-shirts and jeans, he would look so sexy in a pair of tight jeans and a figure hugging t-shirt but she didn't want him to have another attack like last night.

"You could officially request Torchwood's help or I can get Pete to phone your chief and offer our services. So what do you think?"

"I think you'll be the end of me Agent Tyler.'' He leaned down to kiss her.

"We'll make a great team and we won't work together all the time, I can do my other Torchwood work as well. I can get people to talk to me where they won't talk to the police. I'll ask Pete before dinner. Now let me finish packing and then we can do some serious snogging for a while."

"Well who am I to argue with a Torchwood agent?"

Eventually, they went to find Tony to see where he wanted to go the next morning – the zoo. Rose asked Pete before dinner and he was all for the idea.

"Well it beats you doing nothing down there and if it helps Alec solve his case. You can monitor for any anomalies down there and report back so find yourself a nice place to stay and charge it to me. What about Alec's medication? Is he going to get more?"

"Yeah, he'll see to it when we get back, I won't let him forget."

Tony went to bed, insisting Alec read him a story and never once mentioning Mickey's name thankfully. When they got to bed, Rose insisted they went easy in view of the night before.

"I never thought I would be bringing you home with me so soon Alec, you are ok with all this?"

"I'm ok with it, you have a great family though your mother keeps staring at me like I've got too heads or something."

Rose was going to say more like two hearts but thought better of it, Pete had not revealed who Alec actually looked a lot like or what he was, leaving that for Rose to break the news to him when the time was right but if he had accepted her past life, he would probably accept that too. So after half a day at the zoo with young Tony, they had a late lunch and the staff helped Rose pack her car, wishing she had a Tardis and only just getting everything in.

They arrived back at the hotel just after seven in the evening and Alec went to get most of his stuff.

"If you leave me your key, I can move everything into my room while you're at work," she offered when he came back.

"Well if you're going to look for somewhere, since the police are paying for my room, I may as well keep it for now. Save packing twice."

"Yeah. It shouldn't take long to find somewhere, I'll look online first thing, somewhere in the harbour area so you don't have too far to go of course and don't take any notice of what people say. Pete's gonna phone your boss in the morning, put it to her tactfully that she could use the benefit of Torchwood's expertise and offer their best agent – me."

"Don't get too big-headed Rose."

"Huh? Cheek. Right, you're gonna suffer for that Alec Hardy, just you wait."

Getting into bed, Rose went on top and allowed him to use protection again, telling him he had nothing to prove to her, the precautions were just that and Rose knew she was going to have to do something so she would find the family planning clinic and take some of the responsibility herself in the morning and see what her options were.

Monday morning, Alec got called into the chief's office.

"Ah, Alec, I've had a most unusual call from Peter Tyler again. He says since his stepdaughter is in town and she's one of Torchwood's top agents, he's offering her services as a liaison between them and us, specifically asking she works alongside you."

"Right. So you want that to happen?"

"Well yes Alec, it's an ideal situation, we can certainly benefit from Agent Tyler's experience. He's asked her to come in at ten this morning, I want DS Miller on this as well, no point in hiding it from her but it will be mainly you who deals with her. I take it you have no objections?"

"None."

"Just how well did you get on with her last week Alec? Did you turn the charm on during her stay to make her want to volunteer to remain here?"

"You could say that. Are there any rules against it Elaine?"

"No, she works for Torchwood, not the police, her personal life is non on my concern but if you have got involved with her, make sure it doesn't interfere with the investigation."

"I can promise it won't though DS Miller might object."

"Good. Ask Ellie to join us in an hour then, I'll talk to Miss Tyler first."

Alec left, hoping Rose wouldn't tell the chief too much about how they had become involved. He knew what women were like, he hoped they won't discuss their love life, sometimes they liked to brag.

Rose had quickly looked online for furnished rental apartments and found three in the same block, just behind the police station by the look on the map, two empty modern ones right at the side of the station, which Alec may be a bit reluctant to occupy and one right on the harbour. She made a note of the numbers and prepared herself for a meeting with Alec's boss, not sure it was a good idea to say the two of them were involved with each other.

"Ah, Agent Tyler, please have a seat. Your stepfather filled me in on most things and why he thought you could help our investigation though I don't know how it came to his attention. We don't normally ask for help from Torchwood."

"Well I became interested last week when I arrived, I had no idea I would end up working on it. Anything I can do to help, you only have to ask. I will also be working for Torchwood but I'll be your liaison more than anything. I've already met DI Hardy, he was very charming during my last week here and I took him with me when I went back home to get the rest of my stuff, my stepfather wanted to meet him."

"I should have guessed, it was my idea he kept an eye on you while you were here but I never expected him to take it personally. Still, as long as it doesn't get in the way of work, I don't need to know all the details but his DS might have something to say about it, they don't exactly get along."

"So I heard. Well I'll get set up, I'm off to look at some places to rent while I'm here, I need my privacy and if more press are going to show up, I don't need my name in all the tabloids and I don't want the focus to shift to what I'm doing here when they should be concentrating on the boy's family. I'd like to meet them, tell them I'm here to help but the public don't tend to know what we do so I'll just say I'm a consultant been brought in by the police, that usually covers it. I'll ask DI Hardy to take me or perhaps DS Miller, if you prefer I don't work directly with him."

"Like I said, I don't need to know if the two of you are involved. We just want this case solved as quickly as possible."

"Well, I'll get to work in the next few days."

Alec and Ellie Miller came to join them, Alec not being too coy and admitting to Miller he knew Rose though not as to the extent of their involvement. Rose was setting off back to the hotel after cornering Alec on the way out and telling him she was off to look at a few places.

"Do you want to come with me or will you leave it to me?" she asked, smirking after she gave him a good snogging.

"I'll leave it to you Poppet, I'm sure you'll pick somewhere nice though maybe not right next door, I'll have no excuse not to get called out urgently when I'm in bed with you."

"Right, well that rules that out then, I'm not having you going out in the middle of something and before you get any more ideas about a repeat of the other night, you need to get on about getting something done."

"Yes ma'am, you're the boss." He gave her a quick peck on the lips. "I have to go now but I'll arrange for you to meet the Latimers."

Rose left and wandered back towards the hotel since she had decided to walk down, passing by the block of apartments and stopped to have a look. There was a parking area around the back and a few had balconies, one she had looked at had one and she got her phone out to call the agents, telling them who she was. The female agent could hardly believe her luck when Rose said she may want to rent one for an indefinite period of time and promised someone would be round in less than half an hour so Rose said she would go get a coffee and come back.

She went to the café next to the police station and had asked for the agent to call if they arrived before she came back so she sent a message to Alec asking if he was free in half an hour. He said he was just going out but to give him the address and Rose said it was just behind the station. So forty minutes later, she had been let in by the agent and there was a knock on the door since Rose had said which one she was interested in and the agent faced Alec.

"Oh, I'm here to view the apartment with my girlfriend."

The woman knew who he was, didn't everyone in the town? What was Rose Tyler doing with the worst cop in Britain?


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'll be getting to the part where the stars are going out in this chapter– promise!

Rose had already fallen in love with the apartment before Alec got there and he knew she had her mind already set on it when he walked in and got a funny look from the agent. So they moved out of the hotel the following day and celebrated by going out for the evening. Rose had been to the clinic, which pleased Alec since he didn't want a repeat of their first night together and was surprised she hadn't just got up and left him or left after she had made sure he was ok at least but no, she had cleaned him up, got him dressed and stayed and now he was in way over his head and virtually a member of Torchwood except in name.

He had called his GP and he had come down so after they got home from celebrating, Alec had told her that he was off to meet someone and his friend had brought some more pills and the injections he could use in emergencies but Alec had not let on that he had almost died having sex with his new girlfriend, just that he thought it would be a good idea.

"So Alec, are you managing to stay out of trouble down here?"

"Me, stay out of trouble? Well I've got a new girlfriend, she's keeping an eye on me so you don't have to."

"I hope she knows what she's taking on Alec, unlike your ex wife. Why did you never tell Tess you were ill?"

"I didn't trust her in the end, she betrayed me. Maybe that caused it, or me almost drowning, or both. That certainly didn't help. I wake up sometimes, thinking about it. I haven't told her yet but since I met her, I've not been as bad, I don't wake up panicking now."

"Well that will improve your chances dramatically Alec. Just take your medication regularly, I'll see your paperwork gets filled in and take the time to book your operation, girlfriend or not, you need to look after yourself. The injections will help, they react faster, just follow the instructions and show her how to do it in case you're not able. What's her name? She must be something, putting up with an old grump like you."

Alec smiled. "Hey, not so much of the old. I'm thinking of surprising her and getting a makeover, trim my beard and get my hair cut."

"Then I'll be the one have the heart attack Alec. So go on then, who's the unlucky lady?"

"Her name is Rose. She came down on holiday last week and it took me three nights to get up the courage to ask her to my room then on the Thursday night, we ended up in her room."

"You old devil you, I hope you didn't attempt anything serious?" his friend laughed.

"Not the first night."

"You mean it took you two attempts and she stayed? I hope you didn't do anything stupid Alec, having sex is not highly recommended in your condition. I never said to completely rule it out but don't get too adventurous in that department. I know I said make sure you get some exercise but that wasn't what I had in mind for you."

"Don't worry, she has me under control, she doesn't let me go too far and best of all, it doesn't bother her, she's amazing, I've never met anyone like her. She even took me to meet her family over the weekend."

"Crikey Alec, you going all domestic on me again are you?"

"Something like that."

"Well she deserves a medal for putting up with you. Good luck with her and do yourself a favour, get that pacemaker fitted sooner rather than later will ya?"

After saying goodbye, Alec went back home. "Home," he thought. "Who would have ever imagined I would have a proper home again in my condition?"

He made his mind up to book an appointment with the consultant at the hospital who kept sending him threatening letters like he needed the operation urgently or she wouldn't be responsible for his demise now he had been passed to the hospital in Exeter who had his records and was not impressed he had failed to show up for numerous appointments but had always had the decency to cancel them, if only at the last minute.

When he got back, Rose was in bed, wearing his now favourite lingerie.

"Everything ok Alec?"

"Sure Poppet, I didn't meant to be all secretive but if I had told you my GP was paying me a visit, you would have wanted to come with me or have him come here and I needed to see him alone. It's not that I'm trying to keep anything from you but I didn't want you asking him questions. You understand, don't you?"

He started getting undressed and Rose got onto her knees and unfastened the rest of his shirt, circling his belly button and making him squirm.

"I understand Alec but please, let me meet him next time, ok?"

"Ok Poppet, I promise. Now are you going to finish what you started?"

Her hand was on the zip of his trousers. She raised her eyebrows, questionably.

"Seriously?" she laughed.

ooooooooo{silversurfer60}ooooooooo

A few weeks later, the case had still not been solved, Alec knew the police were withdrawing resources as they were getting no closer to bringing in Danny's killer so Rose had asked Pete if she could get involved in her liaison between Torchwood and the local police full-time and forgo her other work and he had agreed.

She was just glad she come clean with Alec, how she had got there in the first place, about the Doctor and Pete was paying for their furnished flat just up from the station which had a view of the sea from the balcony but as she looked at the stars, over a few nights, they were getting less and less until finally, she reported it to Pete, who had not wanted to mention it to her since she was working on a murder investigation with Alec.

One night, seven weeks into the investigation and them having been together for six, Rose was staring out of the bedroom window and Alec came up behind her, turning her around and feeling under her dressing gown at the underwear that was hardly there, his favourite type and kissing the side of her neck as she put her arms around his slim bare waist, she loved it when he wore briefs she had dared him to buy while they were out shopping. They just had the faint bedside lamp on, Alec liked to watch her as she smiled at his touches and made her want him more so they had agreed to use the lowest light bulb they could find, just giving off a soft glow, almost like moonlight and he just loved the way she smiled up at him as she lay there for him, calling his name.

They turned back towards the window, he stood behind her, pressing himself against her and she could tell what he wanted. There should have been a full moon, there had been the night before and Alec looked again, thinking he was imagining things or he was getting dizzy as a haze was across the sky and he stepped back from his lover.

"What's wrong Alec, are you ok?" she asked, missing the feel of his touch that always turned her on.

"Nothing. Just tell me I'm not going crazy but shouldn't there be more stars than that? And where's the moon tonight hmm? It was full last night, we didn't need the lamp on and I could see you quite clearly and you were as beautiful as ever I might add. Sometimes I wonder how I managed to leave you to go off to work my beautiful Rose."

He kissed her neck again and pulled her robe over her shoulders, kissing them and feeling her breasts through the thin material of her very low cut bra. "Come to bed Rosikins because tonight, I don't care if it's my last night with you, I want you properly."

"You are being selfish again Mister, what about me? You promised you wouldn't leave me behind, not without a real fight anyway. I don't want you giving up on me, I've not even started with you yet."

"You drive a hard bargain do you know that? You know I'm a slave to you, you keep me going and for you, I'll show some restraint again as I have since that first night but I feel much better now, you know what you do to me. You were the miracle I needed Rose, I love you."

He turned her around and pulled her robe off, letting it fall to the floor and lined himself up against her and lifted her slightly so they touched. Rose gasped and she was already done for as she felt his hands on her, trying to pull off her knickers at the same time. She gasped again as she wriggled to let him pull them down, her hands straying to his briefs and wrapping her legs around him to keep her balance as she pulled them down, setting him free and he let out a moan.

"I love you Alec."

They fell onto the bed, he unfastened her bra hastily and tossed it away, pulling her knickers off her legs and pulling off his own briefs, then raising her legs. Rose was already lost and they never even bothered scrambling under the covers. Some time later, Rose was lying on his chest, cringing every time she thought his heart had really missed a beat and not just through their intense lovemaking they had enjoyed immensely or it sped up.

"Alec, please tell me you'll make a definite date for your operation?"

"I will my love, I think I'm getting pretty close to ending this case, everything's starting to fall into place now. So many pieces of the puzzle are coming together, I'm just missing one more piece. I told you Miller brought in the skateboard earlier, didn't I?"

"Yeah, that's why you in such a good mood earlier."

"It showed?"

Things began to slot into place over the next two days but one night, Rose was waiting for him to get her into bed when she noticed something odd. The moon was still not showing itself and it wasn't even cloudy and Rose thought about calling Pete the next morning but surely if it was something alien, he would have called her? As she waited for Alec, she couldn't be certain but there looked a lot less stars than on the previous couple of nights.

After another night of blissful lovemaking, Alec kissed her goodbye and went off to work, Rose saying she wanted to consult something with Pete before she joined him and made her way to her makeshift office that she had to share with the SOCO team.

Pete answered on the first ring.

"You were expecting my call then?" Rose asked.

"Yes and no. I take it you're calling about the lack of stars over the last few nights?"

"Yeah, Alec noticed the other night, the moon wasn't out and it's not clouded over or anything, there's a funny sort of haze in the sky. What's going on Dad?"

Pete knew she was worried when she called him that.

"I think you'd better come back to Torchwood Rose. How's Alec getting on with that case?"

"It's slow and I've done all I can to help him, there's nothing I wouldn't do to help him he knows that. He'll insist on coming with me. Have you found anything that would help his condition?"

"Not yet but I have a team working on it but other than him having that pacemaker, nothing so far. Can't you make him see sense Rose?"

"You've no idea how hard I've tried but he won't give in. His consultant is going crazy, she says the longer he leaves it, the less chance he has but he just won't give in. He's so stubborn."

"Just like his girlfriend then eh? Why don't you two come up for the weekend? I'll clear it with his boss, tell her Torchwood has to brief him on some things."

"Yeah ok. We'll come up tomorrow then, shall we go straight to Torchwood? Otherwise we'll have a job getting away from mum and Tony."

Pete laughed. "See you here tomorrow then."

She went to join Alec and closed his office door, tempted to pull all the blinds down and snog him senseless, again.

"Pete wants us at Torchwood, tomorrow, he'll clear it with the chief."

She sat across from him at his desk, knowing all eyes were on them as everyone knew they were lovers, they had never hidden the fact.

"What for? Not that I don't enjoy a visit to your mother or anything, it's just the last time she almost smothered me to death."

They had been up over the bank holiday weekend and taken Tony out.

"It's nothing to do with the case Alec, it's Torchwood business and I knew you wouldn't let me go on my own so I'm offering to take you with me. Besides, you know you can't sleep on your own any more."

"Don't remind me."

So leaving Ellie Miller in charge, she knew about Rose's role in the whole thing and had objected until the two became close friends, they drove up to London on the Friday morning and went directly to Torchwood, Alec's first visit to their headquarters.

On their arrival, Rose parked in the underground garage and Jake came down to greet them.

"If it isn't the two lovebirds then? When are you going to tie the knot?" he joked, looking directly at Alec and still not believing who he looked like.

He had met Alec two weeks ago on the last bank holiday at the end of August and Pete had made both him and Mickey swear they wouldn't tell him who he looked like because to start with the man had a bad heart and secondly, Rose loved him for who he was and nothing was going to spoil that. They had of course been all over the society columns nearly every week and Alec's reputation of being Britain's worst cop had been laughed out of town now he was with Rose Tyler. After all, it had been reported, the Vitex heiress would not be seen with a deadbeat detective and a certain MS White had been forced to back down and go into hiding.

Rose had been looking forward to having some time with her family again but it wasn't going to be once they stepped into Pete's office and he and Mickey were waiting, looking very stern. They had found out where the readings were coming from – Rose's original universe.

Rose flopped down on to Pete's plush leather sofa, Alec sitting beside her.

"So are you all sure?" she asked, hoping they were completely wrong about it and taking Alec's hand.

Mickey stared at the man who'd stolen his ex-girlfriend's heart and now looked even more like the Doctor since his beard was mostly gone and his hair had been styled, something that had made Rose love him even more and said he looked sexier since she got him into t-shirts and jeans but today, he had his dark grey suit on but no tie.

"We've done some initial exploration into your old universe Rose, Mickey has made a few trips and there seems to be this woman, Donna Noble who is instrumental in all this and the Doctor's latest companion."

At one point that would have bothered Rose a great deal but now she had Alec, she was just happy the Doctor wasn't on his own, he needed someone with him.

Then came the crunch.

"Rose, we need you to go and contact Donna, something's changed and a whole new universe has sprung up around her and the walls are breaking down even more now between the universes. More stars have gone out, we've had agents across multiverses and they all report the same thing and it's all pointing to your original one. I need you to get ready to go."

"Wait a minute Pete," Alec objected. "You said Mickey had been going, why don't you send him again?"

Mickey answered him. "I've not actually made contact with Donna, if I did, she may not be as willing to co-operate with me as she would Rose. The Doctor will have talked about Rose and Donna will be more willing to go along if she approaches her."

"Mickey's right Alec. I'm sorry but we have to send her, Rose is the only one who can find out what's going on and stop it."

Alec thought he had another attack coming on and Rose felt his tenseness.

"Alec. Take your injection – now, please."

He waited a few moments and found he was calming down slightly.

"I'm ok Rose, just a panic attack. Say you don't agree this?"

"This is what I do Alec, I've been doing it all this time and I can't stop now. I have to go but I'm coming back to you. At one time, all I wanted to do was get back to the Doctor but my life is here now, with you Alec. I love you so much but if I don't go, everything we know will be gone."

"So, this is your real life then? Going off to save the known universe and now it seems the unknown universe. I don't like it Rose, none of you know what you're asking of me, to accept what she does for this stupid planet and all the planets out there which if what Rose told me is true, could also be parallel to the ones from her universe and support life."

"Can you all give us a minute?" Rose asked as she saw the panic still in Alec's eyes.

He had been a broken man when she had met him and just like with the Doctor, she had made him better. Now she faced the decision of leaving him behind or life as they know it being wiped out and she hated it.

She took his hand away and he slipped it around her waist and pulled her close.

"I love you Alec, nothing will ever change that but if I don't go, the earth will begin to suffer without the moon, we all know the oceans are affected by it and what next? The sun? No Alec, if I don't do, within a few days, there will be all kinds of natural disasters and I can't be responsible for that. Everyone and everything will die in a short period of time. I'm coming back, to you."

"I love you Rose, you'll never know how much you changed my life and although I don't agree, I know you have to do this. When do you have to leave?"

"Soon by the look of things."

"Then Rose Tyler, say you'll marry me."

"Alec, are you sure about this?"

"Yes Rose, just say you will before you leave, never mind the details. I'll even face your mother and tell her."

"Wow, you are feeling brave. Yes Alec, I'll marry you."

"Then the sooner you go, the less you have to worry about me really getting an attack while you're away and don't worry about me, Pete will take care of me. I'm not leaving you."

They kissed all too briefly as Pete came back in.

"Sorry you two but Rose has to go now, we're getting more readings."

Rose pulled Alec after her into the room the dimension cannon was housed in, Alec thought it was like something out of a science fiction movie.

Rose let go of him and went to a control panel and was briefed as to where Mickey had left Donna and the controller set the co-ordinates and the device was aimed. Rose stood in front of it, dressed in her blue leather jacket, her purple sweater and her black trousers. Alec stepped up to her and kissed her one last time, not caring how many people were watching.

"I love you Rose, just be safe."

"I will, I'll be back before you even miss me."

He wouldn't bet on that but he was already formulating a plan as the device activated and Rose disappeared from his view.

"I'm not letting you do this alone Rose," he said to himself.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events of 'Turn Left' happen in the background as I felt it unnecessary to repeat them and from Pete and Alec's POV happen a lot faster. Rose's actions up until seeing the Doctor on the deserted street still took place as did Martha's, leading her to the castle in Germany.

Not happy he had just seen his girlfriend vanish in front of his eyes and no-one but him making a fuss about it, Alec went across to where Pete was at a desk being briefed on the latest readouts. Rose had been gone only a few minutes but already, control had shifted her position twice as she called them, Alec not being able to hear.

Rose had landed but found herself in Donna's reality after realising she had just missed the Doctor and he had not got out from under the Thames in time to regenerate and was communicating with her controller, who was following the new timeline very carefully and guiding her to where she needed. Rose knew back in her adopted world, hardly any time had passed since she was skipping ahead, so to speak. Finally, she found the Tardis had been rescued from under the river Thames and that U.N.I.T needed some help in scraping the surface technology and Rose's knowledge and she needed to get Donna to go back and change her destiny and put things right.

Rose arrived from the final jump just as Donna lay on the roadside, telling her to give the Doctor a message, 'Bad Wolf'. Rose was gone only a few more minutes when Alec noticed she was back. He stepped right up to her.

"Is it done Rose, have you fixed it?"

Her face told him otherwise. "No Alec, it's just the beginning, there's something else going on because what I just did, should have been impossible, the barriers are still breaking down."

"It's still coming from your original universe Rose, things are back on track but Donna is still a part of this, somehow." Pete's face told her everything. "I'm sorry Rose, this isn't over. If you need help, I can send Mickey with you."

"Let me find out what's going on first, I'll call if I need help. I'll take the portable device as well, just in case."

Alec was just about holding back his anger. He had found someone he wanted to spend the rest of his days with, smartened himself up and getting his operation, finally and she was leaving him to go off and save the universe, every universe and he should be proud of her, he knew he should but thinking that practically every life on earth, many earths were depending on her and a small group of people. If she didn't make it back, well he didn't even want to think about that.

Then he saw her being handed a weapon. Someone called out. "Rose's world, it's been moved, she has to go now Director."

"Mickey, Jake, stand by to go after her but only if she needs you. Rose, you know what to do. Be safe."

Alec stared at his surroundings, wishing now he had never met Rose, or her family and definitely never heard of Torchwood.

"Rose, come back to me, do you hear me? I love you, you promised to come back and marry me."

Rose stepped up to him. "I love you too Alec and I am coming back."

She leaned over and kissed him and stepped back up to the dimension cannon and Alec watched her vanish again. This time, it was more than he could stand.

"Send me after her," he demanded.

The controller looked at him, then at Pete. "Sir, I need you over here."

Pete was still watching some readouts from the second Rose disappeared. Alec was standing with one arm crossed and the other on his chin, regarding the controller who he thought he had made it clear to her what he wanted.

"What's wrong? Alec? What is it?"

"Send me after Rose, now. I mean it, she is not going over there on her own."

"Alec, are you crazy? In your condition?"

"I have my injections and my medication, I'll be fine. Now will you send me before it's too late? I know time is different here than where Rose has gone. Send Mickey with me if you have to but we're wasting time."

"Alec, I can't justify sending you there, we don't know what's going on."

"Excuse me Director, Agent Tyler just requested another shift."

"Now will you send me?"

"Alec, you're not fit to go and you know it, you could die over there and you may not make it back."

"Pete, I would rather die trying to help her than let her die on her own."

"Mickey, get over here."

"You want me to go over after Rose?"

"Yes and take Alec with you and if he does anything stupid like die on you, I'll hold you responsible. Get your weapon, Alec doesn't get one so you stay together at all times, we don't know what's over there."

"Yes we do Sir, Agent Tyler just said it's a race call the Daleks."

"What? They were all supposed to have been trapped in the void, when we came over here." Mickey thought they had all been wiped out.

"Some must have escaped Mickey, at least we know what you're up against."

"What are Daleks?" Alec asked, keen to get going before he lost Rose altogether.

"Your worst nightmare Alec and the Cybermen were nothing compared with them and believe me, I've seen them fighting each other. Some of them must have got away or there's a whole new batch of them out there and Rose is facing them alone, well not quite alone if she's found the Doctor.

"Agent Smith, Agent Tyler reports contact with the Doctor and wants us to lock onto the Tardis. I've just located it."

Alec looked at Pete, a stern look on his face.

"Ok, lock her on and send Agent Smith and DI Hardy to the same location."

"Sir, it may be slightly out, sending them from here."

"Fine, just do it. Mickey, you have your portable device." Pete picked one up and handed it to Alec. "Press the top and it will bring you back or get you out of harm's way by changing your location."

Alec nodded and put it in his pocket and followed Mickey.

ooooooooo{silversurfer60}ooooooooo

Meanwhile, Rose found herself on a deserted street having got clearance for another shift. The Tardis had landed only a short distance away as it happened but as she got her bearings, there in front of her was the familiar blue box and two people standing outside. One of them had turned around and nudged the other.

The Doctor had been questioning Donna about who she had seen in her alternate reality. Donna looked around and saw a figure a few hundred yards a way.

"Why don't you ask her yourself?"

The Doctor stared wide-eyed at her and realised the direction his companion was looking in. He turned and there was the best sight he had seen in a long time – Rose Tyler, just a short distance away. He ran towards her and she to him but as he almost reached her, a Dalek had been hiding and turned, shooting its deathly ray. Rose looked in horror, shouting his name. He turned sideways but was caught, sending him to the ground.

Suddenly, Jack Harkness appeared from nowhere and fired at the Dalek. Donna had seen what had happened and was rushing towards them.

Rose held the Doctor's head up.

"Rose! Long time no see."

"Yeah, been busy, you know. Don't die, please don't die."

Jack picked up Rose's discarded gun and turned to Rose, who had been joined by Donna. "Get him into the Tardis, quickly!"

Rose and Donna helped the Doctor up and they half carried, half dragged back along the abandoned street.

Mickey and Alec had disappeared in front of the dimension cannon, the co-ordinates set a short distance from where the Tardis had landed. They found themselves behind a small car, Alec looking around but Mickey had already spotted a familiar sight of two Daleks and fired his weapon before Alec had chance to say anything. He looked at the woman stood by the car door, moving her hands from the back of her head.

"Mickey! We have to find the Tardis." Then she registered a familiar face, with a sort of beard. "Doctor! I was coming to find you!"

Alec looked at her. "Sorry, whoever you are but I'm not him."

Sarah-Jane looked at Mickey. "But he looks…." She stopped, seeing Mickey's face that clearly told her this man was not the Doctor nor knew he actually looked like him. "Come on, the Tardis can't be far away. We'd best go on foot before any Daleks come back. How did you find me?"

They walked off, Alec walking behind Sarah-Jane and Mickey behind Alec, constantly searching for more Daleks and turned a corner, just seeing a group of people at the Tardis door. Mickey shouted over.

"Rose!" Then he saw she and Donna were supporting someone.

Catching up to them, Mickey managed to see it was the Doctor. "What happened?"

"Never mind that Mickey Mouse, just everyone get inside and what's with the Doc's twin brother?" Jack asked.

Alec stared at everyone then at the man Rose had been helping as they lay him on the grating by the console and realising he had stepped into a blue wooden box and everything he had been told was true, with one exception. The man lying on the floor could be him.

"Does anyone care to tell me what's going on?"

"Not now Alec, please. Jack, help him?" She was supporting the Doctor's head but she could see what was happening, the familiar yellow glow emanating from the Doctor's face and hands.

"Alec?" Jack questions. "Who the hell is Alec?"

"Excuse me but isn't anyone bothered about the Doctor?" Donna chirped up. "Someone help him, isn't there something you can do?"

"He's doing it now, Donna but you can't change Doctor, I've come all this way to find you, to warn you."

Alec tried to pull her away. "Come on Rose, you told me what happens to him, when he's injured or dying, let him be."

"Whoever he is, he's right Rose, you know what happens," Jack repeated.

"Well I don't know so explain it and you, are you his twin or something? He said there was no-one left," a totally confused Donna said.

Alec had already noticed. No wonder Rose had fallen in love with him so easily, he was the Doctor's substitute and he had just asked her to marry him. Still, that had to be put aside until this was sorted and she still needed him, he had promised but he didn't know how he felt about her now nor she him and although she had said she was coming back to him, he wasn't so sure. Then he remembered the Doctor could change his appearance.

Jack helped the Doctor to his feet as Rose explained to Donna what would happen, which left her even more confused. The Doctor leaned against the console, holding out his arms.

"It's starting, I'm regenerating."

He prepared for the onslaught, the bombardment of his atoms being scattered and re-arranged into a different format and making him into a new person but Rose had just come back, he wasn't ready to give up so easily. As he felt the regeneration energy flowing through him, he had healed himself, he knew he was safe so before he submitted himself for a complete change of character, he remembered his hand, in the jar and quickly, directed the rest of the energy in its direction.

What he didn't know was that Alec was holding Rose back, sensing she wanted to go to his twin and his foot and leg against the jar containing the Doctor's spare hand, which would have freaked him out completely had he seen it. As the Doctor glowed, Rose buried her head in Alec's chest but as the glowing began to fade, Rose suddenly flinched as she was aware something was happening to Alec, who was staring open-mouthed at what was going on and suddenly aware something was touching his leg.

Jack was holding Donna, still trying to process the man with Rose was identical to his old friend. Donna was torn between burying her head in Jack's shoulder and staring with her mouth wide open. Mickey had retreated to the other side of the console with Sarah-Jane, the Doctor, now recovering was shaking his head and fastening his tie, unaware what was going on with his spare hand and another man he had barely registered, until he looked over at the jar.

Then it all registered at once. The man next to Rose could be his identical twin, well except for the beard and the flat hair. He looked at Alec, then the broken jar and the glowing coming from the man, who was now shaking and clutching his chest.

Rose was staring in horror at the man she loved. Jack rushed over to her, looking at Alec.

"Help him Doctor, he's got a bad heart, he's dying," Rose pleaded, trying to catch Alec.

"No Rose, he absorbed the rest of my regeneration energy that I poured into my spare hand, my handy spare hand I lost in a sword fight that Christmas. I used the regeneration energy to heal myself, I didn't want to change, why should I? Look at me! Stand back."

Alec had stopped shaking and the Doctor had caught him, laying him on the floor but still glowing. The Doctor leaned over him.

"Who is he Rose, did he come with you?"

"His name's Alec Hardy, he's a police detective but I left him back on Pete's world and he must have come here with Mickey." She turned toward the culprit. "I hate you Mickey, why did you allow him to come with you? You know how ill he is, did you do it on purpose? To finish him off thinking I'd go back to you? And why did Pete allow this? Well answer me."

"It's ok Rose, I'm fine."

Rose looked back, away from Mickey, who wished a black hole would open and swallow him up. Alec was standing up, the Doctor beside him and except for the suits and Alec's beard, you could hardly tell the two apart.

"He's ok Rose, the regeneration energy, well it cured him. Alec, you're the same as me now, well partly. You're part Timelord."

"What? Are you as crazy as everyone else around here? Rose? Tell me that did not just happen?"

"I wish I could Alec. This is the Doctor, Doctor, this is my fiancé Alec Hardy."

Alec wasn't sure about that now. He saw the way Rose had been looking at the Doctor. Rose stepped up to the pair of them.

"Is it true Doctor? If he's a part Timelord, does he have two hearts now?"

"No, only the one but there's nothing wrong with him now, he's completely healed. You must have been touching my hand."

"I felt something against my leg, yes. Rose, you have some explaining to do, like why you never told me I looked like him. Everything we had together, was it all a lie? Were you just with me because I looked like him?"

Rose looked at him. The Doctor spoke up. "We don't have time for this now, either of you. There will be more Daleks coming."

He ran to the console.

Rose grabbed Alec's arm. "The answer is no Alec, that's not the reason I fell in love with you and you know it. Let's get this over with then we can talk but I still love you, no matter what."

She reached up to kiss him but he only half kissed her back.

"The discussion is not over Rose. Now I have to go help him."

Things were flooding through Alec's mind. Thoughts and ideas, flashes of all the Doctor's encounters and memories, he thought he was going to burn but at the back of his mind, he could feel the Doctor's presence and the calming hum of the Tardis herself, telling him everything was alright.

Just as the Doctor felt Alec in his own mind, suddenly, all power was cut.

"They've found us!" The Doctor ran around the console after Alec and checked all the switches. "They must have us in a chrono loop. Rose, what's been going on in your world?"

She was about to tell him to ask Alec but thought better of it. "The stars were going out and Donna created a whole new world around her. We thought that was it but after she put things right, it was still happening."

Alec was already relaying the rest of the information silently to his twin.

"How did you all even get here?" the Doctor asked.

"We developed this machine, the dimension cannon, it measures timelines and it didn't work, for years then suddenly it did and all the timelines started converging on Donna."

"But what have I ever done?" Donna asked, wishing she had now stayed at home, again. "I'm just a temp, from Chiswick."

"Why did you even invent such a thing?" the Doctor asked, checking he and Alec hadn't missed anything.

"So I could come back," Rose grinned, as did the Doctor and if Alec had thought he was jealous already, it was nothing the way those two were looking at each other. "Shut up!"

"Doctor," Jack addressed him, not sure if he had the right one or not, Alec's appearance looked marginally different since he followed everyone into the Tardis. "The Daleks have this ship, they call it the Crucible, they must be taking us on board."

Somehow or other, the monitor was still working, probably by courtesy of the Daleks themselves, trying to put fear into the occupants.

Everyone was silent, Donna, still trying to take things in, Mickey and Sarah-Jane who hadn't said a word since coming on board and Rose, torn between Alec and the Doctor, Jack trying to make some sense of it since he was the only one who half understood what had happened and last but not least Alec, who didn't know himself how he felt. He felt better, he had new energy and all these ideas were running through his mind that his anger with Rose had subsided somewhat. He knew how the Doctor had felt about Rose, he had loved her and lost her but never given up on ever finding her again yet somehow had managed still not to find a way back to her even when Rose had made it through to him.

Alec knew Rose was not going back with him, despite him asking her to marry him and even if she did, things would never be the same for either of them. Rose would always love the Doctor or love him because he looked and now acted like him. He would make it easy for her and just ask the Doctor to take him back and leave him somewhere, he couldn't go back to Broadchurch now, there would be too many questions he couldn't answer.

The Tardis was taken on board the Dalek ship and landed with a thud. Everyone went quiet. Sarah-Jane had asked Mickey about Alec and he had quickly told her. Alec and Rose were stood to one side, Donna was leaning on one of the coral struts, still trying to decide which one of them was actually the Doctor and where this Alec had come from. She thought he was with Rose but the way the other woman was giving him the cold shoulder, she wondered.

A terrifying voice came from outside. "Doctor, step forth or die."

Everyone looked at him. He went towards the door. "I'm sorry but there's nothing I can do. The last time we met the Daleks they were scavengers and hybrids and mad but now, they're a fully-fledged Dalek empire, experts at getting into Tardises. It's been good though, hasn't it? All of this, all of us? Jack, thought I'd got rid of you, Mickey the idiot, Donna, you've been brilliant and Sarah-Jane. Rose, you shouldn't have come back for me and for what it's worth, Alec loves you and I know you love him and Alec, Rose loves you for who you are, not because you look like me. Blimey!"

He opened the door and stepped out, what seemed like millions of Daleks surrounding the ship. Jack followed him, Mickey, with his hand on Sarah-Jane's shoulder, looking back at Rose. Rose was watching Alec, wondering what would happen when this was over. Suddenly, she ran back, looped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"I love you Alec, please say you love me too."

He kissed her back. "I still love you Rose, now go, I'll get Donna."

Donna was staring into space, hearing some far-off heartbeat and in a daze. Alec approached her. "Come on Donna, we have to get out of here, I'm sorry, there's nothing else we can do."

Donna shook her head. "Yeah, I know."

They headed for the Tardis door but it suddenly shut to on them.

"Oi, let us out," Donna yelled, banging on the door, Alec trying to open it, thinking he wished he had his own sonic screwdriver and wondering how he even knew about it.

He joined in. "Let us out."

The Doctor had run back to the door, followed by Rose, who turned to the supreme Dalek. "Let them out, that's my boyfriend and my friend in there."

The supreme Dalek spoke. "This is not of Dalek origin, this is Timelord treachery."

The Doctor turned back. "It's not my doing now open the door and let them out."

The supreme Dalek spoke again. "The Tardis is a weapon non-the-less and therefore it must be destroyed."

Suddenly, the floor gave way, plummeting the Tardis into the core of the Dalek ship. Rose screamed, the Doctor holding her back as the gap remained open.

"Alec!"


	7. Chapter 7

As the Doctor held Rose back, both staring where the Tardis, still containing Donna and Alec had stood seconds ago, Jack saw his opportunity and was about to open fire but was shot down. Rose went rushing over to him. The Doctor took her by her shoulders.

"Leave him Rose."

"But they killed him and Donna and Alec. I've got nothing to live for now."

The supreme Dalek spoke. "Dispose of him and take the Doctor and his companion to the vault, they are the playthings of Davros now. Take the other two to the other prisoners for the final testing."

Rose and the Doctor were herded away. The Doctor tried to keep close to her to whisper.

"Don't worry Rose, they'll be ok, Alec will be ok, he'll know what to do and he'll activate the Tardis before it's too late."

"I told him not to try to follow me, he's stubborn."

"Yeah? Just like someone else I know then. How did you meet him?"

"Silence!" shouted a mechanical voice behind them.

"Don't worry Rose, they need us alive or suffer the consequences of the fury of Davros."

Mickey and Sarah-Jane were led away but Mickey had his portable device he could use but couldn't leave his friend behind, not unless his hand was forced and he wasn't a coward, not any more, Rose had taught him that. They were led to join some other prisoners in some sort of holding cell but while one of them was falling over, Sarah-Jane saw her chance and called Mickey over to a doorway, opening it with her sonic lipstick. Once inside, they ducked to avoid a Dalek spotting them.

"What's that?" Mickey asked as she put the lipstick in her pocket.

"Long story. We have to get out of here and find the Doctor and Rose and who was that other man?"

"Rose's fiancé, apparently. I've met him before but he proposed to her just before she left."

"Left where Mickey and why does he look like the Doctor?"

"Me and Rose, we've been off world for a while, living in a parallel one, Rose met him a few weeks ago when she was on holiday. He's a police detective."

Just then, there was a green glow outside the window and despite a Dalek standing in front of it, they could see the prisoners disintegrating in front of their eyes. Sarah-Jane couldn't look. Suddenly, some grating gave way and Jack crawled through it.

"Great, I crawl through miles of tunnels and who do I find? Mickey Mouse!"

"Look who's talking Captain cheesecake. Thought those Daleks had finished you off?"

"Nah! Not me and that's Captain beefcake to you." He grabbed Mickey for a hug.

"And that's enough hugging."

Sarah-Jane brought a chain out of her pocket and showed it to Jack.

Meanwhile, after they found themselves sprawled over the floor of the Tardis suddenly, Alec and Donna had scrambled to their feet and Alec was at the controls.

"Well do something spaceman," Donna insisted, whacking his arm as flames began erupting around them.

"Hey, I'm new at all this in case you didn't witness me turning into a Timelord. It was not my idea and don't call me spaceman, I could arrest you for assaulting a police officer."

"Yeah, well, PC Plod, if you don't get us out of here, you'll have no-one to arrest, will you?"

Alec was unaware he was still glowing slightly and the whack on the arm Donna just transferred to her but suddenly, just as more flames took hold, he spied the glass jar containing the Doctor's hand. Touching it, he jumped back, shook his head and pressed a button on the console. Once in orbit above the Dalek ship, the Tardis began to put out the fires, leaving Donna staring and leaning on a strut.

"You are bonkers, Alec whatever your name is. Why didn't you get us out of here earlier?"

"Because I told you, this is new to me. Now we have to figure out what's going on and why they need those 27 planets.

Back on the Dalek ship, Davros had descended to the vault to have his fun by taunting the Doctor and Rose.

"Watch your ship Doctor, the last children of Galifrey."

The Doctor found himself free and Rose joined him as the screen showed the Tardis engulfed by flames.

"Alec!"

"Watch as your ship is destroyed, how does it make you feel?"

"Let him out, he's done nothing to you and neither has Donna."

"Oh but Miss Tyler, this was meant to happen."

The countdown began and the Tardis faded from view. Rose buried her head in the Doctor's side as he whispered "Sorry" to her.

"You're sorry? Alec and Donna died for nothing, Alec shouldn't have even been here and it's my fault."

Suddenly, the most scary Dalek Rose had ever seen was speaking. Rose looked up.

"You've met before Rose, the battle of Canary Wharf, Dalek Caan."

The supreme Dalek informed Davros that there was an external transmission and the Doctor wanted to be put through – it was Martha.

Martha made her demands. Rose watched the Doctor, knowing the woman had been his companion.

"She's good," Rose remarked when Martha had made it clear that the Daleks would be one planet short for their evil plan to work.

"Who's that?" Martha asked.

"I'm Rose, Rose Tyler."

"Oh my…. You found her."

Rose looked at the Doctor, what had he told her exactly?

Then a second transmission came through, it was Jack.

"But I thought he was killed," Rose managed, still trying to come to terms with the fact the man she now loved had gone.

Davros meanwhile was having fun now tormenting Sarah-Jane and suddenly, everyone was transmatted to the vault, Jack leaving the warp star he had wired into the mainframe behind and Martha leaving the key to detonate the earth. They were all made to kneel. The Doctor was still holding Rose.

"Now what?" she asked him quietly, glaring at Mickey for bringing her fiancé into danger. Now she had no reason to go back.

Above the Dalek ship, Alec was formulating a plan and quickly worked out what the Daleks were up to and realising in horror. He was putting together the last components to blast the Daleks to pieces by using the reality bomb against them.

Davros himself was now in his element.

"Detonate the reality bomb. Nothing can stop me now Doctor, nothing!"

Suddenly, there was a familiar sound as the countdown continued. Everyone looked towards the sound to see the Tardis materializing. No-one was more surprised than Rose but considering she had seen Alec being transformed into a Timelord, she shouldn't have been so surprised but as Alec came rushing out of the Tardis, Davros aimed at him and a jolt of electricity hit Alec in the chest, causing him to drop the device.

"Activate the holding cell," Davros ordered, just as Alec collapsed to the floor, the Doctor holding Rose back as the invisible cell surrounded Alec who for some reason, was now almost indistinguishable from his twin except for the suit.

Donna came running out of the Tardis and picked up the fallen weapon.

"I've got it Alec, what do I do with it?"

As Donna picked it up, Davros zapped her and she was flung behind a console then a Dalek destroyed the weapon.

"Great, now we have nothing," Alec retorted, trying his invisible prison cell. "You still scared of me Davros?"

He was now even sounding like the Doctor and Rose wasn't sure how she felt about it.

The countdown was continuing and almost reached zero when suddenly, an alarm sounded and nothing happened, a bemused Donna stepping out from behind the console.

"What just happened?" the Doctor asked.

"Deactivating holding cells," Donna continued. Alec found himself free. "Well don't just stand there you two skinny arses, get to work."

Jack and Mickey grabbed the weapons from the Tardis and Mickey told Davros to stay where he was while the women disposed of the Dalek that Donna had sent into a spin, them being helpless.

The Doctor and Alec seized the chance to start sending the planets back to where they had come from as Donna tried to explain what had happened.

"Alec was standing by your hand, he became a Timelord but when we got trapped inside the Tardis, he still didn't know what to do until I whacked his arm, he was still glowing and he passed some of into me."

"Great, now there's three of you, I can't tell you what I'm thinking right now," Jack commented.

"Yeah but it lay dormant in both me and Alec but he touched that hand after I touched him."

The supreme Dalek wanted to know why the detonation had failed and descended to the vault, firing at the console just as there was only one planet left after the two of them named the ones they were sending back, Alec surprised he now knew the names.

Jack aimed at the Dalek and destroyed it.

"Oh, of course there's only one left and guess which one?" the doctor huffed. "Was this your doing Caan? Have you been manipulating timelines?"

"This would always have happened Doctor, I just helped. You must destroy everything that is Dalek."

"No, we can still get the earth back."

He ran into the Tardis but Dalek Caan had not finished as he turned to Alec. "I have seen the end of everything Dalek and you must make it happen."

Alec realised what he meant and while the Doctor was still in the Tardis, Alec routed the feedback loops.

"Alec, you should wait for the Doctor," Donna insisted.

"What are you doing Alec?" Rose asked.

"No, don't listen to Dalek Caan, he's insane," Davros insisted.

"I have to destroy them because even without the reality bomb, there's enough of them to slaughter the cosmos, I've just created the biggest feedback in history."

"No! Alec, what are you doing? Wait for the Doctor," Rose insisted.

"I am the Doctor."

The Doctor was busy inside the Tardis when he heard the first explosions and went running out to see the Daleks being turned into atoms.

"What have you done Alec? Everyone inside the Tardis – now!"

"Fulfilling a prophecy." Alec went first, counting everyone off as they entered. Davros was calling the Doctor.

"Just remember, I name you forever, you are the destroyer of worlds."

"Come with me Davros, I can save you."

The Dalek ship was exploding around them as the Doctor finally went through the Tardis doors as Dalek Caan gave his final prophecy.

"One of them will still die, Doctor."

The Doctor just hoped for Rose's sake it wasn't going to be Alec. Rose was clinging hold of Alec, trying to explain to a confused Martha who he was and what had happened to him.

"So he's a Timelord as well? Great, just what I needed.

"Alec, how did you know what to do? You've just wiped out the entire Dalek fleet."

"So did you once Rose, remember? I doubt they'll be gone for good, Davros and Caan will have escaped no doubt."

"That's no excuse Alec," the Doctor said, taking his place at the console. "You know why this ship keeps wobbling about all over the place?"

He went around showing the others what to do but Alec held Rose back and showed her a place next to him.

"We're going to fly planet earth back home."

The Doctor called up Torchwood and Sarah-Jane's son and computer and was happy to discover she still had K9 and looping an invisible tow-rope around the planet, they flew the Tardis back to the earth's original orbit. The Doctor came away from the console and pulled Alec to one side.

"That was a dangerous thing to do Alec, taking the reality bomb away was enough but you had to destroy them."

"And you wouldn't? That's where you always went wrong Doctor, I'm part human, I have no Timelords to account to."

"I should take it out of you, I shouldn't leave you with all that knowledge and power but it cured you and I can't take that away from you or you'll die. Rose needs you, she'll take care of you. You had better not let her down."

"What will happen to me?"

"You only have one life Alec, make the most of it and make her happy."

Rose came over to join them just as they reached the earth's former position and everyone cheered. Once they landed everyone began to leave, Martha with Jack and then Mickey told Rose he wasn't going back with her.

"Say goodbye to everyone for me, your mum, Tony, Jake. It was fun though."

"Yeah, take care of yourself Mickey."

Alec put his arm around her and shook Mickey's hand. "Don't blame him for bringing me here, I made him."

"Yeah, might have known you wouldn't stay behind, trouble."

"You forgive me then?"

"You have a lot of making up to do, Alec Hardy but you have the chance to back out of what you asked me earlier."

"No, there's no backing out Rose."

Donna was on the phone talking to her Grandad, Sarah-Jane had said goodbye and Mickey went to catch up with Jack and Martha.

"I think those two might get on well," Alec remarked, holding Rose's hand. "So how do we get back? Those devices still working?"

Rose had forgotten. "Yeah, they'll work.

"Oh, I can do better than that Rose Tyler, I'll take you home personally, Donna's always wanted to go to the parallel universe, even for just a short trip. Next stop Bad Wolf Bay," the Doctor said.

Before they knew it, they were stepping out onto the beach.

"So, Rose, Alec, this is goodbye, I won't be able to come again, unless the walls break down again."

"You said that last time but you never finished that sentence you started and I cried for a long time over that Doctor, until I found Alec."

"Well Alec can finish that sentence for me, though he probably already has since he asked you to marry him."

"I'll say it for both of us Rose, I love you. Now say goodbye to him, properly this time because he was just as hurt as you were the last time, believe me, I know. Go on Doctor, you'll only get this one chance but answer me this, why did you never tell her?"

"Because I knew I'd lose her one day and I couldn't bare it. I wanted her to be happy."

"She would have been happier if she had known and you'd told her, even if she lost you, she would have known."

The Tardis gave a warning. "We have to go but Alec, you're cured now and don't worry, you only have one life and one heart so make the most of it and you were protected when the change took place, you're in no danger. Look after each other and, since it's my last chance to say it – Rose Tyler, I love you, I've always loved you but Alec is me now and I know you love him."

He turned towards the Tardis, Donna halfway thought the door and Rose let go of Alec, knowing he would forgive her.

"I love you too Doctor." She reached up to kiss him. "Goodbye."

The Doctor disappeared through the door and Rose stepped back, feeling Alec's hand in hers. "It's ok Rose, we both know. I understand."

She cried into his shoulder as the Tardis faded from view one last time.

"We should find somewhere to stay for the night, call Torchwood."

"They'll wonder what happened to us and I have to explain about Mickey."

Alec got his phone out and called Pete to let him know they were safe.

"We go to the zeppelin port in the morning, he's booking two flights for us back to London. You stayed here before, how far is the hotel?"

Rose led the way and they got a room, Rose collapsing on the bed after they had eaten and got a few things from the local store.

"I got more than my heart mended you know," Alec revealed.

"Such as?" Rose asked, running her finger down his abdomen.

"Let me show you Rose Tyler because tonight is going to be the night of your life, new and old.''

Alec was certain her screams would be heard in the other universe.

ooooooooo{silversurfer60}ooooooooo

After a debriefing at Torchwood and saying goodbye to Jackie and Tony, Rose and Alec made their way back to Broadchurch, Alec driving and Pete furnishing him with proof he'd had treatment for a pacemaker fitting and all the paperwork would be genuine so as not to raise any medical questions. Two days after they got back, no-one really missing Alec, so he thought, his new abilities made him see who the killer was as soon as he had become part Timelord but he had to get one last piece of physical evidence after Danny's skateboard was handed to him by Ellie Miller after it had been given to her son.

When he made the arrest, the town was devastated and Rose immediately went to see Ellie to comfort her and although the police were putting her up in a local hotel, Rose insisted they took an empty apartment in the same block as she and Alec were in, paying for it herself.

Rose and Alec's love grew stronger, Rose gave up working and spent her days looking after Ellie's youngest and collecting Tom from school when needed or he would walk home with his friends, Ellie went back to work over in Exeter part time and although it was extra travelling, she managed since she knew Rose would take great care of her boys. That was until just after Christmas when they got back from London, Rose having stopped taking precautions, she found out she was pregnant.

On the night she told Alec, just after the new year, they lay in bed and Rose teased him about being a part Timelord, saying he never did tell her what the Doctor had meant about him having other abilities.

"Wellll, maybe Rose, one of them was to start talking like him, a bit and the mended heart but I think it rather shows in bed, don't you?"

Rose decided to play at she didn't know what he meant.

"Oh I don't know Alec, I've not noticed that much difference in that department."

"Really? Only I swear that first night back in Norway, they could have heard you in the next galaxy, let alone the other universe."

"You think you're so impressive Alec Hardy."

"I am impressive, I've told you that before, Rose Hardy."

"Hey, I'm not yet, Mister."

"Well, I think we should put that right, don't you? I asked Pete, before we left and he said I had his permission to ask you. I was in a bit of a hurry last time and we never really talked about it since."

"Did he now? And when were you going to ask me, exactly?"

"You'll know Poppet but maybe before the baby comes along."

"What? How did you know? I've only just found out, I was just going to tell you."

"Heightened Timelord senses Rose, you can't hide anything from me now. I'd say you were about five to six weeks."

"Cleverclogs, you're such a show-off."

ooooooooo~Epilogue~ooooooooo

A few days later, Alec arranged some time off and they went back to London to a hastily arranged wedding at the Tyler mansion with Pete getting them a special licence with the Mayor of London's help and Jackie calling in a few favours from the caterers, having got a large marquee in the back garden.

They went to Rome for their honeymoon, Alec wanting to show Rose Pompeii after his visit there with Donna, or rather the Doctor's visit with Donna and Rose had told her family she was pregnant, wondering if the baby would be a part Timelord. Alec had told her all about the adventures the Doctor had with Martha and Donna, how he had first met them and about the Titanic over London on Christmas Day, Rose saying that was just typical she missed all the fun.

Just a year after they had met, Rose had a baby girl, Jenny, after he told her about what happened on the planet Messaline, Alec had got a promotion and they spent the baby's first Christmas in London again. Alec took her away for a few days, back to Bad Wolf Bay and while they were there standing on the beach with their baby daughter, holding hands, Alec felt a sudden loss in his mind and he suddenly bent forwards for a moment and Rose knew, her Doctor had just regenerated. Alec recovered, still no loss of being a part Timelord and Rose knew they would be ok.

She had Alec, who had now shaved his beard off and styled his hair differently since their daughter arrived and looked so much like his counterpart had done, they had a beautiful three month old daughter who Alec said looked just like her mother and the Doctor, her Doctor would live on in Alec.

The End!


End file.
